Help us deliver journalism that makes a difference in our community.

Let me know by dropping me a note at jmorrow@tricityherald.com, or call and leave a message at 509-582-1508.

Also, we’d like to see your Seahawks photos from not only the week, but on Super Bowl Sunday. You can send those to http://www.tri-cityherald.com/submit-photo/

Soccer franchise not happening ... yet

The downside of Chad Bodnar taking the Eastern Washington University women’s soccer head coaching position — which he did just before Christmas — is that the Tri-Cities won’t have a franchise in the inaugural Evergreen Premier League this spring.

The EPLWA announced last week that FC Three Rivers Tri-Cities won’t be part of the first season. But league President Peter Ostrovsky wants a team in the league in the near future.

Last summer, Three Rivers was granted a franchise based on the bid led by Bodnar, the club’s diirector of coaching. Bodnar, a Pasco High graduate who also was the head men’s and women’s coach at Walla Walla Community College, was doing an admirable job of signing great talent for the new team.

But in December, Bodnar was made an offer he couldn’t refuse: an NCAA Division I women’s coaching job. He plans on fulfilling his Three Rivers program position until his contract expires in May.

But there was no way he could run the EPLWA franchise.

“I headed the cause and with me departing for EWU and not having the time to run the team it was decided the league should go in a different direction,” Bodnar said in the league’s release. “I was excited to run things and had a good group (of players) coming in. I just didn’t expect a division one college coaching offer.”

The league’s board of directors met two weeks ago in Wenatchee to set bylaws, and it awarded Yakima the league’s eighth franchise.

Yakima joins a league lineup with franchises in Bellingham, Tacoma, Wenatchee, Tukweila, Silverdale, Spokane and Vancouver.

Ostrovsky is hoping that the Tri-Cities could come into the league next year or the following year.

More college updates

Mens basketball

w Colton McCargar (Richland) was the male athlete of the month for Whitworth. The Pirates went 3-2 during December, and McCargar averaged 16.2 points in that stretch, along with 5.0 rebounds. He hit 51 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts, and 89 percent of his free throws.

w Antonio Snow (Big Bend CC) scored 19 points and had five assists, but it wasn’t enough as Montana Tech lost 94-91 to Montana Western on Jan. 2.

Women’s basketball

w Heather (Worley) Johns (Southridge) scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Whitman’s women’s team beat University of Redlands 66-61 on Nov. 22. In a 77-54 win over Concordia on Dec. 1, Johns scored 24 points and had nine rebounds. For her efforts in that game, Johns was named Northwest Conference women’s basketball athlete of the week.

Cross country

w Eastern Washington’s Katie Mahoney (Richland) finished 40th overall at the Big Sky Conference championships on Nov. 2, finishing the 5K course in 18:08. At the NCAA West Regionals, Mahoney was 150th overall, finishing the 6K course in 22:03. In both instances, Mahoney was third among EWU runners.

Football

w Eric Schultz (Connell) completed his college football career at Utah State with a Poinsettia Bowl victory on Dec. 27 over Northern Illinois and being named honorable mention All-Mountain West. Schultz, a 6-4, 300-pound offenbsive lineman. He was first-team all WAC as a junior.

w Freshman keeper Ricardo Sotelo (Hermiston) started 10 matches this fall for the George Fox University men’s team (1-19-0). He made 54 saves.

Volleyball

w Kelsey Julian (Kennewick) finished the season for the 10-21 Eastern Washington University Eagles with 191 kills (second best on the team). Overall statistically, Julian ranked third among Eastern’s players.

To top it off, the junior made the Big Sky Conference All-Academic women’s volleyball team.

To qualify for the team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.20 cumulative gpa or better at EWU and meet the requirement of playing in at least half of the team's competitions.